A small specialty food manufacturer needed:

• Consulting and implementation for a major IT upgrade.
• A web presence that complemented their existing print collaterals.
• A secure website for Business to Consumer (B-to-C) and Business to Business (B-to-B) communication.
• Automation of the ordering process for their retail outlet clients and their third party distribution channel. A system that Provides both company drivers and third party distributors, with real-time email order, delivery receipt and billing functions.

Solutions:

• We made a survey and recommendations based on best practices for a small office network that would support their needs for the next few years. We implemented and supervised revisions to their hardware and software applications.
• We followed the clients existing order and accounting system. All product information existed as Excel spreadsheets. The Excel spreadsheets were deployed to the secure B-to-B website directly from Excel.
• Excel sheets were also exported as plain text lists and emailed to the route drivers' email enabled Palm™ hand held devices.
• The system allows customers to place their projected orders over the secure B-to-B website . The orders are then preformed and loaded onto company trucks or shipped to the third party distribution hubs in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
• The orders are emailed to the delivery drivers' Palm™ device and upon delivery the driver sends a reply email to the manufacturer’s reply address. Any changes in to the order  are made in the reply email. If needed the delivery driver is also able to print a delivery receipt for the customer.
• When received, the email is imported into both QuickBooks and Excel, the invoice is generated, emailed, faxed and/or regular mailed to the customer.
• The real-time Excel data is used to enhance manufacturing projections.  

Services provided:

• Media Strategy
• Cross Media Design and publishing in print
• Photography
• IT consulting